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Lot Essay
Although there is no evidence to support it and no maker's mark on the piece, the form and quality of the cabinet would suggest that it was specially commissioned from an eminent firm of cabinet-makers at the time to hold this Exhibition Presentation Set
Lieutenant Crossman R.E. was a member of the military body assigned to the Great Exhibition under the command of Lt. Col. Sir Wm. Reid.
This consisted of thirteen officers from the Royal Engineers and the 5th and 22nd Companies of the Royal Sappers and Miners with the instruction to assist the Executive Committee in the arrangement and management of the Exhibition. Lieutenant Crossman served at the Crystal Palace from the 1st December 1850 until the 8th September 1851 throughout the setting up of the Exhibition and the six months it was open. He had various duties including: assisting in the space computation for display and in other arrangements connected with the allocation of space; Jury department deputies assistant, Group B machinery; and organisation of ventilation during the Exhibition, and he is mentioned under the relevant texts in the Reports under some of these headings.
The Royal Commission Presentation Set of Great Exhibition Medals was awarded to the Governments of all participating countries, the twenty-seven commissioners and to senior officials. A similar set to that being offered now is illustrated in The World's Show, a catalogue of Crystal Palace Medals by Leslie Lewis Allen, this set awarded to Captain Collinson.
William Crossman was born on the 30th June 1830, the eldest son of Robert Crossman of the Cheswick and Holy Island Estate. He entered The Royal Military Academy in January 1847, spending nine months at the Arsenal and was commissioned in December 1848, gaining the Sword and Telescope prizes. He then chose to join the newly formed Royal Engineers in 1849 which led to his joining the staff of the Great Exhibition to assist in the lay-out and ventilation. As a personal memorial to this association he built at Cheswick a glasshouse modelled on the Great Exhibition Hall.
From 1851 until 1861 he worked in Australia on building prisons and other public works, was a police magistrate and married there in 1855. He returned to England in 1861 and was almost immediately sent to Halifax in Canada to assist in getting ready quarters for troops from England after the scare over the possibility of trouble with the United States and became Secretary of the Commission on the Defence of Canada. From then on he was continuously employed on defence work all around the world, especially in the Far East. He returned to England in 1869 to command the Royal Engineers at Curragh but was soon rushed off to Constantinople. He returned in 1877 and was made a Companion of St. Michael and St. George and took up the post of Inspector of Submarine Defences at the War Office and in 1882 was Commander of the Royal Engineers, Southern District.
In July 1883 on the death of his father he succeeded to the Cheswick and Holy Island Estates. He was Knighted as K.C.M.G in 1884 and was elected to Parliament as the Liberal member for Portsmouth in the following year, retiring from the army as a Major General soon after.
On taking over the Cheswick properties he took a major part in a number of activities in Northumberland and was a J.P and Alderman of the County Council. He was a naturalist of note and a keen archaeologist who undertook major excavations of Holy Island Priory.
Major General Sir William Crossman, K.C.M.G died in London in 1901.
Lieutenant Crossman R.E. was a member of the military body assigned to the Great Exhibition under the command of Lt. Col. Sir Wm. Reid.
This consisted of thirteen officers from the Royal Engineers and the 5th and 22nd Companies of the Royal Sappers and Miners with the instruction to assist the Executive Committee in the arrangement and management of the Exhibition. Lieutenant Crossman served at the Crystal Palace from the 1st December 1850 until the 8th September 1851 throughout the setting up of the Exhibition and the six months it was open. He had various duties including: assisting in the space computation for display and in other arrangements connected with the allocation of space; Jury department deputies assistant, Group B machinery; and organisation of ventilation during the Exhibition, and he is mentioned under the relevant texts in the Reports under some of these headings.
The Royal Commission Presentation Set of Great Exhibition Medals was awarded to the Governments of all participating countries, the twenty-seven commissioners and to senior officials. A similar set to that being offered now is illustrated in The World's Show, a catalogue of Crystal Palace Medals by Leslie Lewis Allen, this set awarded to Captain Collinson.
William Crossman was born on the 30th June 1830, the eldest son of Robert Crossman of the Cheswick and Holy Island Estate. He entered The Royal Military Academy in January 1847, spending nine months at the Arsenal and was commissioned in December 1848, gaining the Sword and Telescope prizes. He then chose to join the newly formed Royal Engineers in 1849 which led to his joining the staff of the Great Exhibition to assist in the lay-out and ventilation. As a personal memorial to this association he built at Cheswick a glasshouse modelled on the Great Exhibition Hall.
From 1851 until 1861 he worked in Australia on building prisons and other public works, was a police magistrate and married there in 1855. He returned to England in 1861 and was almost immediately sent to Halifax in Canada to assist in getting ready quarters for troops from England after the scare over the possibility of trouble with the United States and became Secretary of the Commission on the Defence of Canada. From then on he was continuously employed on defence work all around the world, especially in the Far East. He returned to England in 1869 to command the Royal Engineers at Curragh but was soon rushed off to Constantinople. He returned in 1877 and was made a Companion of St. Michael and St. George and took up the post of Inspector of Submarine Defences at the War Office and in 1882 was Commander of the Royal Engineers, Southern District.
In July 1883 on the death of his father he succeeded to the Cheswick and Holy Island Estates. He was Knighted as K.C.M.G in 1884 and was elected to Parliament as the Liberal member for Portsmouth in the following year, retiring from the army as a Major General soon after.
On taking over the Cheswick properties he took a major part in a number of activities in Northumberland and was a J.P and Alderman of the County Council. He was a naturalist of note and a keen archaeologist who undertook major excavations of Holy Island Priory.
Major General Sir William Crossman, K.C.M.G died in London in 1901.